Online consumer's engagement with food brands: the mediated effect of Brand Engagement in Self-Concept between Brand Love and Brand Advocacy

Abstract

Purpose: Customers are increasingly aware of food brand names and identify with the food brands they purchase. Interesting findings are obtained from studies combining the brand engagement with self-concept (BESC) idea with other marketing variables. The goal of this study is to examine how brand advocacy and brand love among consumers relate to their preferred food brands. Design/Methodology/Approach: To further understand the factors influencing brand advocacy, 200 online food users in Sri Lanka were surveyed. A five-point Likert scale, from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) and was utilized in this online survey. The self-administered survey was distributed online, and 200 respondents provided data using a judgmental sampling method of nonprobability in Sri Lanka, the research questionnaire was distributed from October 1 through November 31. SMART PLS 4.0 was used to understand and analyze the gathered data. The acquired data were examined for internal consistency using reliability analysis. Findings: This paper offers empirical knowledge. A persona profile and an experimental prototype are among the design study findings that are intended to be activated for practical use. Examining the mediating influence of BESC, the findings show that brand love has a significant and positive impact on consumers' brand advocacy. Originality: The study enhances the body of knowledge on self-concept theory and offers food marketers insightful information about internet consumers. Implications: This study aids in understanding emerging trends in Sri Lankan online consumer behavior. Although brand love and brand advocacy have been the subject of prior studies, BESC has a mediating influence. The current research tries to close these knowledge gaps.